It’s understood that apple pie and American baseball are two of our iconic claims to fame as a culture. Baseball is played in every town, city, school and open field in our country and we have established a complete set of traditions that blend with the sport. With so many sports choices and excellent players and teams in the U.S., how did baseball take the top spot as the favorite?
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It seems that we Americans just can’t get enough details and trivia when it comes to our World Series games. It has gone beyond a passion and entered into obsession. There are collectors that deem themselves experts on the World Series topics and collect everything from regular memorabilia all the way to electronic scoreboards. Here is some information that may surprise you, and at least add to your own trivia collection.
The first World Series game was played in 1903. The team known as the “Boston Americans” won the game.
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I grew up sitting in the bleachers, watching my Mom play on a women’s team in Missouri. This was a team of working women, most of the moms, and were some of the hardest playing games I ever saw. With a semi-pro player like my mother, I couldn’t begin to compete, but she gave us the legacy of the love of baseball. Another of her legacies was that we should never take ourselves too seriously. We shared many a day watching ball on television and laughed until tears ran down our faces when we saw a blooper, something silly or a player performing out of character. Some of these have become quite popular, being played and replayed on the electronic scoreboards to the joy of the fans.
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150 years offers a lot of leeway for the development of traditions in baseball. There is always an evolution of rules and guidelines when it comes to sports; and in most cases, these are established based on safety or fairness. Baseball, however, has some rather unusual or downright weird rules for the game. As you watch the game and view the electronic scoreboard with confusion, keep these in mind and the fact that they are completely legal.
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American baseball continues to top the sports arena as most popular. Around the world, baseball is the all-time American sport and stands up there in status with apple pie and hot dogs. There are, however, some rather interesting facts about this favored game that only those true aficionados are aware of.
The 1971 World Series game stands out as a game-changer. It was the first official World Series game that was played at night. This also brought about changes for all electronic scoreboards needed and used for future World Series games.
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Looking for the best baseball countdown widget for your favorite team? Electro-Mech brings you an easy to use and incredible way to make sure everyone gets the latest countdown info, and it can be easily placed and found on your website. No need to spend hours trying to design your own or download an intricate software that gives you what they say is an easy way to create a widget. In less than five minutes, you can create your own baseball countdown widget design for your favorite team and look like a pro (without all of the time and effort).
Electro-Mech has designed a very easy click and add widget, available right on our website. This is not to be confused with a ‘gadget’ which can only be added to specific and proprietary websites. Our baseball countdown widget allows you the ability to decide which type of view you want, add your favorite baseball team and get a code to add to your website.
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Knowing how to navigate and participate in the college baseball recruiting process has gone beyond the mundane and entered into a fine science. There is a method to the madness and every player and parent needs to know the protocol, the responses and set their expectations at a realistic level. While it has been said that they aren’t on par in their search for high school talent as compared to the competitive arena of college to college, it is darned close.
Those that aren’t in the know need to be aware that baseball recruiting is an expansion into the sales arena for both player and school. There is an entire stage of presentation for the player to ‘sell their talents’ and the internet has a number of platforms designed for just this cause. A player can list stats, pix, videos, testimonials and general information that can be previewed by a prospective college. On the college side, there is a competitive world that involves the best recruiters and reps that work year round to preview the best high school talent, get early sign-ups and increase their position in the college baseball recruiting ranking.
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Cumming, Georgia is the kind of smaller town that makes you catch your breathe. There is a grace and charm that can only be attributed to the south. This is an area where people smile, waive and look you in the eyes when they are talking. There is a sincere interest in folks you speak to and a genuineness that seems to be a rarity these days. There is a calm beauty as you stroll around the streets and the town itself is a fine blend of the love of life, country and nature.
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Shibe Park opened in 1909 and was the perfect example of the kind of baseball parks that represented that era. Major League baseball in the early twentieth century had set precedence for the kind of parks that were being designed. The reinforced concrete, large bleacher areas and underground garage was accented with a domed tower. Shibe Park was not only a place to go, but over the years was an icon of Philadelphia. The fans, the summer, the park and the scoreboards reflected the times as they were at that moment.
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Hannibal, Missouri is famous for being the hometown of Mark Twain. From the moment you step into Hannibal, you realize it is a piece of Americana that will remain embedded in your memory forever. Baseball is an important element for the residents and so it was a very big deal when their beloved Clemens Field got a new electronic scoreboard.
Clemens Field is named after Samuel Clemens, which was Mark Twain’s real name. For years it has had the old style manual scoreboard that supported the fans that attended the Hannibal Cavemen games. Someone actually had to sit there and manually change the numbers, in the hot sun. The new electronic scoreboard is twenty seven feet long and the attendees will now be able to see the actual names of the teams, instead of the old ‘home and visitor’ that was viewed on the old board. The new addition for the fans will also display the important aspects of the game, such as each team’s number of balls, strikes and the number of outs. Every baseball fan knows that this is the crucial info at every game. The old board was small and the information difficult to see with the light bulb lights. The team and fans will now have no trouble seeing everything on the scoreboard, thanks to the LED lighting and the large lettering and number sizes.
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Columbus is a city that has gone from its early roots to a town with an incredible array of talent in business and sports. Over the years, the first interests started out as baseball, with games among the local citizens. Later, the business areas increased and the sports stadiums and fields advanced as well. From a field game of baseball with the baseball scoreboards alight, to a stadium packed with fans, this is a warm and welcoming American town.
Columbus. Georgia was founded in the early 1800’s and was based on its demographic location as the last usable road area before leaving the state. While it was named after famed explorer Christopher Columbus, the founders accomplished something quite unusual for the time with an actual city plan. The Chattahoochee River was the pipeline for everything outside of the area and the original town was to be located where the current city of Phenix City, Alabama currently stands. There was only one major hurtle that they had to overcome and this was the Native American Creek Indians.
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The area we now call Winston-Salem in North Carolina is known as the City of the Arts and is just one of the many names that refers to this lovely part of the country. Known as a center of industrial progress, furniture and tobacco, the people of this area are incredible innovators. It might not surprise you to know that they are also avid sports fans, taking pride in their teams and fields. At any time you can check online to attend a basketball, baseball, football, or hockey game. They have a special place in their hearts for their baseball, with baseball scoreboards lit with the colors of their team.
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Chattanooga is a city of many variations. A touch of Americana, blended with many trials that they had to overcome. The people of the area have a love of country, state and baseball. Some of the most highly attended games in the year leave the town almost empty. Everyone is watching the team on the field with their eyes focused on the baseball scoreboards.
Chattanooga was originally inhabited by the Cherokee Native American tribe. The location near the river offered easy transportation between villages and the people thrived there for hundreds of years. This was also noted by the European settlers that decided to move in, and, over the years, the takeover resulted in the infamous Trail of Tears for the relocation of the Cherokee.
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Richmond Virginia is one the nation’s centers for everything historic. The close proximity to the nation’s capital and the participation of so many important historic moments has given the city the ability to be successful in industry and tourism. The Richmond Coliseum plays host to football, baseball and soccer games that are some of the best in the country. It depends on who you are talking to as to which sport is the favorite. Some favor attending the football games while others prefer baseball, with the baseball scoreboards lit with the team colors.
Colonists from English originally arrived in the Richmond area in the early 1600’s. The slow growth was due to the Native Americans inhabiting the area and led to the final founding of the town in 1737. By the late 1700’s, Richmond was embroiled in much of the politics of the day and based its success on agriculture and the slave trade.
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Savannah conjures images of gorgeous southern mansions, Spanish moss filled trees and a distinct hospitality of the area. This historic town features an incredible array of architecture, music and the arts, firmly embedded in the traditions of the south. Visitors are overwhelmed by the beauty and the regal demeanor of Savannah and it is an experience that is never forgotten. Savannah is also known for their love of their sports teams. As a city they offer an incredibly choice of professional and college teams as well as minor league baseball. There is an array of fields for baseball games including special attention to the baseball scoreboards.
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The city name of Montgomery, Alabama denotes visions as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches for equality. However, Montgomery is also home to some of the best baseball and football games and fans around. Sports fans make sure they attend in record crowds, with the Cranston Bowl stadium packed and the baseball scoreboards as the main focus for each point that’s gained. The Montgomery area has its roots that extend back to the colonial days of settlement and is actually built upon the land of two Native American tribes.
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If you turn on any sports event or attend any game today, it is hard to believe that African Americans were once banned from most American sports. While they did have their own ‘black teams’, they were not included in the semi pro, pro and national teams. Jackie Robinson, one of the greatest baseball players ever, was the first to break these bonds of segregation and opened the doors for the talent of thousands of African Americans everywhere.
Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 to a very poor single mother. His older brother had come in just behind Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games with a silver medal and inspired Jackie to go for his dreams. Jackie showed excellence is a variety of sports, including football. He attended University of California in Los Angeles and became the first attendee to cover four different sports and gain all varsity letters.
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The softball field of Amherst Regional High School in Massachusetts will have a new electronic scoreboard this coming spring. The scoreboard would have made their coach, Victor Keedy, proud and has been purchased in his memory.
Keedy was devoted to the game and was the baseball and softball team coach at the school. His passing in May, 2010 had a devastating affect on the school, teams and the community. Since his passing, the Hurricane Boosters Club has spent the last two years working with the community, committees and town employees in an effort to get a new electronic scoreboard. The planned memorial tournament in Keedy’s honor turned out to be more than a small success and plans are being made to continue the tournament every year. Additional youth sports benefits are in the works to assist in establishing scholarships for the kids. The booster club has long been a supporter of everything sports for the kids and was a major force behind the success.
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Today’s baseball is often a catch up as to who is on what team and who has been transferred. While we all have our favorite teams there are many that have favorite players. It never mattered what team Dave Winfield played with because he was a personal favorite and an all time superstar.
Dave Winfield was born in 1951 in St. Paul Minnesota and his parents divorced when he was three years old. His mother and older brother formed a very close knit and tight bond, supporting and caring for each other in a loving home. Dave held an incredible respect for his mother, who worked to keep their family together. Never going too far from home, Dave and his brother spent a lot of time at the Oxford Playground. It was there that he met the directory of the playground, Bill Peterson. Bill became Dave’s mentor, friend and father-figure and encouraged the boys to play baseball and basketball.
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It is a rough road for any athlete to perfect a single sport and very few in the world have the option of becoming the best in two sports. Bo Jackson was one of these rare individuals. His careers in both baseball and football are legendary; and he accomplished it all with a sense of ease. Often described as one of the best athletes in the world, Bo set himself apart by accomplishing a high standard of excellence.
Vincent Edward Jackson (“Bo”) was born in 1962 in Bessemer, Alabama. He was number eight out of a family of ten children and often referred to as “the wild boar hog”. The reason for the reference was simply that he was always getting into unruly trouble. The name evolved to “Bo” and that was what he preferred to go by for the rest of his life. Bo was raised by a single mother, who worked multiple jobs to support her family and Bo was a constant distraction with the trouble he got into and caused. By the time Jackson was thirteen he was forced to change his bad behavior when he had to take on odd jobs to pay for damage he had caused. It was then that he decided to play baseball.
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